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Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy

J. Preston, A. Debney, C. Gamble, M. J. Hardy, G. J. C. Underwood, A. Garbutt, J. Harley, R. Baker, R. M. Dunk, M. Grigg, B. T. Hancock, I. W. Hendy, E. C. La Marca, J. Murray, N. Pettorelli, S. J. Pittman, S. E. Reeves, M. Robertson, A. M. Sturrock, R. H. Thurstan, Richard Unsworth Orcid Logo, E. A. Ward, S. L. Ward, G. J. Watson, S. C. L. Watson, L. M. Wedding, T. A. Worthington, R. A. Wright, C. Yesson, P. S. E. zu Ermgassen

npj Ocean Sustainability, Volume: 4, Start page: 33

Swansea University Author: Richard Unsworth Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1038/s44183-025-00128-3

Abstract

Temperate coastal marine ecosystems have undergone severe global loss and degradation. We provide a framework for considering ecological connectivity in marine systems and evidence for ecological connectivity across temperate coastal seascapes, developed through expert consensus and structured revie...

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Published in: npj Ocean Sustainability
ISSN: 2731-426X
Published: Springer Nature 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69736
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We demonstrate that ecosystem functioning and the delivery of ecosystem services require the existence of a healthy mosaic of coastal habitats, maintained by the exchanges of matter and energy between them. We advocate a seascape approach, that restores connectivity and optimal structure-function relationships, is crucial for successful ecosystem restoration. Consequently, we provide recommendations to deliver seascape restoration of coastal habitats to support the targets set by the 2021-30 UN Decades of Ocean Science and Ecosystem Restoration. Acknowledging the interconnected nature of coastal ecosystems has implications for policy. 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spelling 2025-06-13T12:46:49.4743605 v2 69736 2025-06-13 Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy b0f33acd13a3ab541cf2aaea27f4fc2f 0000-0003-0036-9724 Richard Unsworth Richard Unsworth true false 2025-06-13 BGPS Temperate coastal marine ecosystems have undergone severe global loss and degradation. We provide a framework for considering ecological connectivity in marine systems and evidence for ecological connectivity across temperate coastal seascapes, developed through expert consensus and structured review. We demonstrate that ecosystem functioning and the delivery of ecosystem services require the existence of a healthy mosaic of coastal habitats, maintained by the exchanges of matter and energy between them. We advocate a seascape approach, that restores connectivity and optimal structure-function relationships, is crucial for successful ecosystem restoration. Consequently, we provide recommendations to deliver seascape restoration of coastal habitats to support the targets set by the 2021-30 UN Decades of Ocean Science and Ecosystem Restoration. Acknowledging the interconnected nature of coastal ecosystems has implications for policy. We identify opportunities and actions to support nature recovery and integrate policy frameworks across climate and biodiversity agendas to achieve international goals for planetary resilience. Journal Article npj Ocean Sustainability 4 33 Springer Nature 2731-426X 12 6 2025 2025-06-12 10.1038/s44183-025-00128-3 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee The ZSL symposium on Ecological Connectivity Across Temperate Coastal Habitats and the subsequent one-day workshop were funded by the Zoological Society of London, with co-funding via the LIFE Programme, funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them. Thank you to The Oak Foundation for contributing funds towards the production of infographics included within this paper. JP, JM and RW acknowledge funding from the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme, managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and funded by Arcadia, and East Head Impact. N.P. and C.Y. were funded by Research England. A.M.S. was funded by a UKRI FLF [MR/V023578/1]. G.J.C.U. was supported by UKRI NERC [NE/01868X/1]. Blue Marine Foundation and Platform Earth provided funding to A.G., and via UKCEH contract 08433 to G.J.C.U., J.H., M.H. and J.P. J.P. was supported by UK NERC [NE/Z503368/1]. 2025-06-13T12:46:49.4743605 2025-06-13T12:24:46.9664949 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences J. Preston 1 A. Debney 2 C. Gamble 3 M. J. Hardy 4 G. J. C. Underwood 5 A. Garbutt 6 J. Harley 7 R. Baker 8 R. M. Dunk 9 M. Grigg 10 B. T. Hancock 11 I. W. Hendy 12 E. C. La Marca 13 J. Murray 14 N. Pettorelli 15 S. J. Pittman 16 S. E. Reeves 17 M. Robertson 18 A. M. Sturrock 19 R. H. Thurstan 20 Richard Unsworth 0000-0003-0036-9724 21 E. A. Ward 22 S. L. Ward 23 G. J. Watson 24 S. C. L. Watson 25 L. M. Wedding 26 T. A. Worthington 27 R. A. Wright 28 C. Yesson 29 P. S. E. zu Ermgassen 30 69736__34477__beabf769f242424c9b072aab0c8b6b2a.pdf 44183_2025_Article_128.pdf 2025-06-13T12:24:46.9663683 Output 7265563 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
spellingShingle Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
Richard Unsworth
title_short Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
title_full Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
title_fullStr Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
title_full_unstemmed Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
title_sort Seascape connectivity: evidence, knowledge gaps and implications for temperate coastal ecosystem restoration practice and policy
author_id_str_mv b0f33acd13a3ab541cf2aaea27f4fc2f
author_id_fullname_str_mv b0f33acd13a3ab541cf2aaea27f4fc2f_***_Richard Unsworth
author Richard Unsworth
author2 J. Preston
A. Debney
C. Gamble
M. J. Hardy
G. J. C. Underwood
A. Garbutt
J. Harley
R. Baker
R. M. Dunk
M. Grigg
B. T. Hancock
I. W. Hendy
E. C. La Marca
J. Murray
N. Pettorelli
S. J. Pittman
S. E. Reeves
M. Robertson
A. M. Sturrock
R. H. Thurstan
Richard Unsworth
E. A. Ward
S. L. Ward
G. J. Watson
S. C. L. Watson
L. M. Wedding
T. A. Worthington
R. A. Wright
C. Yesson
P. S. E. zu Ermgassen
format Journal article
container_title npj Ocean Sustainability
container_volume 4
container_start_page 33
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 2731-426X
doi_str_mv 10.1038/s44183-025-00128-3
publisher Springer Nature
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Temperate coastal marine ecosystems have undergone severe global loss and degradation. We provide a framework for considering ecological connectivity in marine systems and evidence for ecological connectivity across temperate coastal seascapes, developed through expert consensus and structured review. We demonstrate that ecosystem functioning and the delivery of ecosystem services require the existence of a healthy mosaic of coastal habitats, maintained by the exchanges of matter and energy between them. We advocate a seascape approach, that restores connectivity and optimal structure-function relationships, is crucial for successful ecosystem restoration. Consequently, we provide recommendations to deliver seascape restoration of coastal habitats to support the targets set by the 2021-30 UN Decades of Ocean Science and Ecosystem Restoration. Acknowledging the interconnected nature of coastal ecosystems has implications for policy. We identify opportunities and actions to support nature recovery and integrate policy frameworks across climate and biodiversity agendas to achieve international goals for planetary resilience.
published_date 2025-06-12T05:30:29Z
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score 11.096295

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